Future Stories
by DarkTaoAngel
Summary: The start to some stories that I will not finish for a while. Chapter 8, It Hurts to Breathe. “You can not control my destiny.” Ren said defiantly. “It’s not your destiny anymore.” Hao whispered in Ren’s ear, sending shivers down his spine. R&R!
1. Incurable Disease

Summery: Ren is dying; he has little more than a week to live. He then meets an unexpected person who changes his life forever, and she just might have what it takes to save it as well. Ren x Pirika, rated T.

A broken life; A shattered past; a cut mind; a bleeding heart. All seem to lead back to one spot, to one person, and that person is me.

I tried all my life to mend the mistakes, heal the horror, and escape the lie that always incased my body. It was not always just physical pain, it hardly ever was. No, it hurt so much more than what could be felt externally, it was pain so unbearable, so cruel that, had it been given the chance, it would have surly killed me in an instant.

I was strong, and I always told myself that I was tough enough to withstand it all, the pain that was destroying me inside more with each day. I was in denial; I refused to tell myself that I was in pain, that sharp cuts and stab wounds were not nearly as bad as what I felt every single moment of my life. It hurt, more than anyone should ever have to experience; and I felt it all of my horrible life.

If I could have, I would have killed myself earlier on in my life, but I was strong, and ending it all would solve nothing. None of my pains would be erased, none of my wounds healed. No, I was doomed from the beginning to lead this life, and so I did.

For the first fourteen years, I was fine, and despite the pain that I felt occasionally, my life was certainly bearable. But after that much pent-up disease and hardened anger, it seemed as though it was more than I could take. Then it really started to hurt me, to the point where, had there been anything sharp around me at that time, I would have just killed myself then and there. But unfortunately, I was never allowed the satisfactory of ending the suffering.

My thoughts turned fiery, and my mind became cold and isolated. It was all a lie and everyone around me seemed to buy right into it. They all just believed it to be 'anger issues', blissfully unaware that their friend was dying, and they could do nothing about it. And so, another year of my life passed, with no change, and no hope for me whatsoever.

It began to seem that I already had died, not on the outside, but inside I was cold, unmoving, and dead. But because of this, it seemed my body was not allowed the same feeling, just my mind, and the worst part of it was, no one knew it. I just acted the same around them, and they thought that nothing had happened, nothing was wrong, when inside I was bleeding. And not long after, my body began to bleed as well. I was cursed, it seemed, to always feel upon my body, what struck my mind so badly.

The first time it happened, I had awoke one unpleasant day, to a large gash upon my arm, a bad one at that. I was able to make the excuse of 'early morning training' and get away with it, and I got treatment. I was fine, it seemed, but it kept happening, worse each time, cutting deeper into me the more I slipped away into the darkness.

It is killing me; I have little time left to live. My mind is going, just as my heart went so many years ago. I do not want to die, but I have little choice in the matter. It is almost as though death, how sweet it would have been long ago, would be twice as bad now. Now that I know it is because my entire subconscious self is going, and not just my body.

Just yesterday, I found a deep cut across my chest, ripping the skin, and puncturing a vein, not far away from my heart. I was barely alive when my friends found me, unconscious on my bed that morning. The cuts are not only getting deeper, they are moving closer to my heart. It seems that my friends know this, especially Faust, who had treated many of my wounds.

At this rate, he says that I have little more than a week to live, unless I can stop the wounds. But I know that I can not stop them, it would take a miracle, a gift of precious life given to my somehow. No, the treatments can not help me, my friends can not help me, and I can not help me.

I do not want to die, but I feel as though I already have. I no longer have feelings, as my heart died so long ago. My friends do not know about any of this, my eventual death, my pain, my suffering. They only see the physical slashes, not the mental ones.

I, Ren Tao, am dying of an incurable disease, one that I myself created. I knew that I was going to die, but it still hit me hard every time that another cut is found, and another stab is taken at my heart. The only way I can live is if my heart comes back to life, my soul starts to live once again. I thought there was no hope; I had given up on all that I had once held so dear. I had thought it was over, that nothing could save me; what I did not know, was that Horo's sister, Pirika, was coming over to visit.

I never thought that she could save my life, but I guess that my heart is still alive after all. I came back to life when I saw her, but can she help keep me alive?


	2. Death Arena

Summery: Hao is at it again, and it turns out that he is succeeding. He is forcing each shaman against one another, forcing one of them to die. When he tries it on Horo and Ren, it opens something up inside of Horo. But Ren dies, and Horo is determined to get Ren back, but what does love have to do in all of this? My first yaoi, Ren x Horo, rated T.

At Mata Cemetery, not long after the first shaman fight preliminaries were over, Horeku Usui and Tao Ren stood, bickering as usual. They were, yet again, fighting over who was to become the Shaman King. It was nighttime, and the only light came from the illuminated oversouls of the two, one white and one yellow. They were launching attacks at one another, though neither was winning for sure. They were the only ones awake, and no one seemed to know where they were, or what they were doing. They had both stayed behind at the cemetery to 'talk', but they were mostly yelling throughout much of the night.

Just as another backbreaking attack was launched, a light scream sounded in the dark. It was a call for help, and since Horo and Ren were the only two out this late at night, they decided to go and check it out. They disengaged their oversouls and followed the voices lead.

The voice led them to a large building where, in the semi-darkness, a solitaire figure could be seen perched atop a high banister. The screams stopped as the two entered the building, and the large double doors began to close behind them. They ran for the doors, but they closed shut just as the two boys reached them. It was a trap, and they had fallen for it.

They glanced menacingly at the figure above them, as lights shot on all around them. They could now see clearly the person who had led them here. It was Hao Asakura. A highly maniacal laugh filtered around them both as Hao glared down upon them both. Horo and Ren looked around them to see a cage of wire, with spikes protruding from each wire strand, surrounding the room they were in, with Hao outside of it. Ren sneered and ran at the cage door, only to get an electric shock as he was sent flying backwards. Horo ran over to help him, as Hao's laughter increased twofold.

"Grr. Hao, what was that for!" Horo looked down at Ren as he attempted to stand. Horo tried to stop him, but he just pushed Horo back and stood up, laughing to Hao. Hao looked down quizzically at him for a moment.

"Haha. You think you can stop me with something as flimsy as a wire cage? Don't make me laugh. It would take much more to put me down. And what are you going to do outside of here? You can not very well attack us, can you? You're out of options, why don't you just give up and let us out of here?" Ren said, as the smile on his face widened. Hao, too, began laughing as he spoke.

"Oh, this is no ordinary cage. It is much to my amusement of what it can do to you. You see, this is a motion sensitive wired cage, and it is designed to begin to close in on you the moment you begin to move. And by the looks of it, you already have." Hao was right; the cage was closing in on Ren and Horo from the sides. Ren had to move back away so as not to get caught in the wiring. He snarled at Hao as Hao just smirked back at him.

"Tell us how to get out of here, now!" Ren said, the fury that he was feeling sounded in his voice.

"It is a very simple way of getting out of there, which I myself designed to toy with you. The only thing that can stop this machine is the movement of furyoku, which means more simply that you must fight each other for it to stop. And by the looks of things, you have little more than a half of an hour to escape!" Hao's laugh deepened as the cage around the two below him tightened closer to them.

Horo and Ren both engaged their oversouls and lightly attacked each other._ This is my chance to beat him once and for all._ They both thought at almost the same time, though they both knew that they were not using their full powers against each other. After more than half of the time had run out, and the space of the cage was narrowing as the spikes were getting closer to the boys' bodies, it seemed to them that Hao was just tricking them. This cage was not going to stop any time soon unless they did something else, but they were running out of time and ideas.

"You tricked us! What more do we have to do to get out of here? Tell me!" Ren was losing control; his anger was showing now more than ever. He attacked the cage, just below the part were Hao was on the other side, but was sent flying again. He gave Hao a look that would have sent him to the grave if looks could kill, and Hao began to speak with a flourish once again.

"Oh dear, did I forget to tell you? This machine is indeed a motion sensitive one, meaning that, when one of the two oversouls within it is extinguished, as well as a life force, then it will open. This is the death arena."

"What do you mean 'as well as a life force'?" Ren shouted at Hao, now beginning to lose his arrogant attitude at the hearing of this unwelcoming sentence.

"Just that. The oversoul must be depleted by ending the life of the handler. One must die, and then the cage will open. I would stay and watch, but I have more important things to deal with. By the way, you have little more than ten minutes to open the cage before you both will be killed!" And with that, Hao disappeared, laughing madly before leaving in a puff of smoke, Spirit of Fire beside him.

"Oh, this is bad. What are we going to do now? We don't have much time left, and he said that one of us has to die before the other can be set free. Can you think of anything?" Horo said as he rubbed his temple, thinking, which was pretty strange, especially for him. Ren could not help but laugh at this odd gesture.

"What are you laughing at? Now is not the time to laugh!" Horo said.

"Sorry. Well, I can not think of anything that we can do. Just keep attacking the walls of the cage and perhaps it will open. That is all I can think of, because I refuse to kill you."

"Ren…."

"Don't think it is because you mean anything to me. It is just because I do not want to take another human's life again. I made up my decision a long while ago." Ren had a desperate look on his face. Horo could only guess what was wrong, and his suspicions were confirmed as Ren suddenly turned off his oversoul. Bason came out of the Kwan-Dao.

"Bason, go to Yoh. Tell him all that has happened, and tell him to come to get Horo," and then, seeing the look on his face, "I command you to leave. Now!" Bason left, as Horo gave Ren a questioning look. He knew what was going on, and he could not believe that it was true.

"Kill me now Horo. I can not see you die, so let me die instead." Ren said, facing Horo as all of the emotion vanished from his eyes, leaving a blank, almost dead look about him.

"No! Ren, I can't! You know that I would never kill you! I _could_ never kill you..." Horo looked at Ren, determination in his eyes. Ren knew that he would never do it. But the cage was closing in on them, almost touching them. There was hardly any room left in the cage, and their only resort to leave was for a life to be taken. And Ren was the only one brave and daring enough to be the one to do it.

"I have sins to atone for. I could never forgive myself if I killed you. But one of us must die, and I already told you, it will not be you. Take care of the others. And Horo, I look forward to battling you again, I will await it." And for the first time that Horo had ever seen, Ren smiled, a true smile, one from the heart. It seemed that he was ready, and he had no problem with it. Horo nodded, knowing that Ren would never let him argue with his final decision.

And with that, Ren took his Kwan-Dao, swinging it above his head as the wire cage around them both came closer, this time a mere inch away from them both. Ren took the Kwan-Dao and pieced it directly through his heart. Blood sprayed on contact as Ren hit the ground, dead before Horo could reach him. Tears fell as the doors to the movement in the cage stopped. Movement was the trigger, and it was also the end.

The end of everything. The end of Ren. This truly was a death arena, with only one exit. Only one person was to leave it. This was it. The invulnerable Tao Ren was… defeated.

"Yes, we will battle again. I have something to live for, to become strong, for you. I am so sorry; I could never tell you what I meant to long ago. I promise I will not give up on what your life meant to me. This just opened my mind to what you were capable of, and what I was missing. Caring. Compassion. Love."

And with that, the cage door finally opened. But it had opened so much more than just an exit; it had opened an ever-closed heart.


	3. Survivor: Hong Kong

Summery: The shaman gang is off to Hong Kong to participate in one of the greatest reality shows ever, Survivor! Its girls vs. boys, and things really start heating up when the two teams combine! Rated T.

"… A new season of Survivor, beginning in February. Sign up now by sending in a video tape by the 17th, and a letter will be sent out to each and every person who makes it. This years Survivor will be taking place in Hong Kong, China, home of the…" an announcer's voice blared out of the Asakura television set, telling of the new season. In the room at the time, present because of either living there, or being forced to go there for training purposes, to be better prepared for the new round of the Shaman Tournament, was Yoh, Hao, Anna, Ren, Horo, Chocolove, Tamara, Pirika, Faust, Lyzerg, Rio, and Manta.

"Hey, you see that, everyone? Let's join! It'll be fun! So who's with me?" Yoh shouted out to no one in particular, getting a few awkward glances and some excited muttering. A few people seemed to think that Anna would never let them go, and so there was some arguing on that issue as well.

"Alright, you can all go. In fact, all of you HAVE to go, under my orders. It will help increase your training, and I'll even come along to see to it that you all train!" Anna's voice rose above all of the talking that was going on around her. There were a few people who objected, but in the end, they all decided to sign up, whether it have been of their own free will, or because of the giant, red marks on the sides of their faces when they left.

As it turned out, even the girls all joined, and out of it all, some of the oddest tapes ever were sent in. they even had to convince Hao not send in a video tape of himself, nude. All in all, the tapes either consisted of oranges, swearing, stupid jokes, or threats to let them in, or else. A week later, everyone got a letter in the mail, letting them know that they had all made it. The only one who did not make it was Chocolove, who was not let in because of the crude joke he had sent in, something involving a watermelon and a sprinkler system.

They each got letters, informing them that they were to take a pre-paid plane to Hong Kong, and they could only bring one item of personal need. They would have to find their own food, and they would be divided into two teams. They would be allowed to name the teams when they got there, based on the people in the group.

"There is no way I am going to Hong Kong just to participate in some stupid game show!" Ren hollered at the top of his lungs the morning they were supposed to get ready and drive down to the Tokyo airport.

"But you signed up; you sent in a video. And besides, Hong Kong is in China, and you know everything about China. You should be great at this sort of thing." Yoh tried to coax him into coming along, but they ended up having a very heated argument about the whole thing.

"I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR IT! You two," he pointed accusingly to both Yoh and Hao, "tied me to a chair and video taped me! I had no choice in the matter, and as for it being in China, do you honestly think that, since I now live in Japan, I really want to go back to China? You can not force me to go anywhere I do not want to go, especially not China!" Ren's tongari grew about two feet in less than one minute because of his anger. He really had anger management problems.

"I can make you come, you know." Horo said as he lifted Ren off of the couch he was sitting on and hoisted him up over his shoulder. He was no problem at first, he was light, and his punches on Horo's back did not hurt too badly; but when Ren started kicking him, Horo had to put him back down.

"Ouch! What'd you do that for!" Horo yelled to Ren, his face flustered as Ren showed no sign of caring; in fact, he looked rather pleased with himself.

In the end, Hao had the idea to invite Ren's sister, Jun, over and, somehow, after locking the two in Ren's room for an hour, she managed to get him to pack his suitcase. He came down the stairs, a huge suitcase in his hands, and Jun flat-out refused to tell how she had gotten her younger brother to pack.

After quite a while of shouting and name calling, finally they all got into the cramped, red Honda, though no one would admit to being the owner of it, and sped down the road to Tokyo.

When they got to the airport, they were each asked to step through a device that told whether they had any weapons on them anywhere. Almost everyone got off free, having no metal items on them, but a few did have some.

Faust almost did not go on the plane when he found out that a skeleton in chains was counted as dangerous and insane. But after a long talk from the skeleton, who happened to have been his wife, he finally boarded the plane without her.

Yoh was let on the plane safely, though he was marked 'slightly insane' for having oranges in his suitcase as his personal item to bring.

Hao had brought hair care items, such as ten or so bottles of shampoo, though he was counted as normal, not in the slightest bit out of it.

Ren, on the other hand, was kicked off the plane for having in his possession a knife, his Kwan-Dao, a gun, and several large sewing needles to do who knows what with. Yoh had to speak to the police and get Ren's items confiscated before Ren was allowed to finally get onto the plane, and on his passport he was marked 'insane for attempting to murder a flight attendant with a series of pointy objects'. Some of those objects included a needle that had been concealed in his coat pocket, and his pointy hair, which had to be smoothed down with water before he was able to enter the plane.

The others had brought pretty normal items, all of which were entered safely onto the plane's cargo hold. The men in charge seemed to find the girls very well mannered, and they took such a great liking to them that all of the girls were allowed into the first class compartment, instead of the second class that the others had to go on.

The rest of the flight was fine, and they all met up with the host of Survivor, Jeff, for the instructions. The teams were announced, eight to a team, as boys on one side, and girls on another. The teams were not going to merge for a while, and so they were each allowed to choose their own team names. The girls were five short until the Lily Five showed up, announcing that they had taken a different plane, and that they too were going to be on Survivor.

"You will each have to find your own way to your campsites, there is a large flag with your team name above it," Jeff had said when they arrived. Their name had been put on their flag already, as it had been decided already, "Boys are Shounen. Girls are Shoujo.

"Boys versus girls, let the battle… begin!"


	4. Soul Sealer

Summery: Someone is stalking each of Yoh's friends, in order to get closer to Yoh. He seals their souls, and what he plans on doing with them is more than Yoh can handle. But, with Hao's cold heart, can he end up saving Yoh, by saving himself? Rated T for partial yaoi and twincest.

A man stepped into a dimly lit room, casting a shadow upon a white rug opposite a fireplace. He walked quickly, though he made no noise as he strode into the room. His presence was left unnoticed by the only inhabitant of the room, who was sitting in a low armchair near the fireplace. The person in the chair was reading peacefully. A smirk formed slowly over the intruders face as he took sight of this. It was going to be easier than he had anticipated, and it would be quite a bit quicker.

The man stepped into the light a bit more, but his face could not be distinguished, as he had a ski mask covering his face. He was wearing all black, and he could blend perfectly into the shadows of the dark room. He noticed the boy by the fireplace, his tall spike just barely reaching the top of the chair, the shimmering flames casting reflections off of his purple hair. He looked so peaceful, and he was, before the intruding man spoke to him.

"Why, hello there Renny; long time no see, eh? I see you're doing well, but being here alone, at this time of night, how risky." Ren's eyes shot up, off of his book, as he glared right at the man before him. Hatred reflected in his golden orbs as he quickly jumped to his feet.

"Who are you? And what do you want with me?" Ren questioned the man, looking around to see where his Kwan-Dao was, but he could find it no where. Then he looked straight at the intruder, and saw him pull something out of his black coat. Sure enough, it was Ren's weapon.

"Looking for this? I took it from you when you weren't looking. Too bad for you, however, you will not be needing it soon." Ren sweatdropped; no one had ever managed to get his weapon away from him before. This man was good, perhaps a bit too good. There was no way that Ren could beat him, especially without anything to fight him with.

"I have no use for you. There is only one person I want. But, since you are in my way, I will give you the privilege of being the first to die. Do not worry; it might not hurt that badly, unless your weapon is dull. Then it may take me a while." A maniacal laugh filled the room, chilling Ren to the bone. The man then charged at Ren, not having given any speeches or anything; he wasted no time in going for the kill, and that was what Ren had been afraid of.

The man with Ren's Kwan-Dao launched an attack at Ren, hitting him sharply in the stomach, and also knocking him backwards, onto the ground. Ren clenched his stomach, feeling the warm blood flow freely over his hand. He gasped a bit, the pain sinking in on him as he fought to breathe past the pain. Once he was able to breathe, there was still the matter of how he was going to get out of the house alive, when no one was there to help him. He was alone in his mansion, and he was defenseless against this murderer.

The man smirked and hit Ren again, this time on the side of his face. Blood flowed down his cheek as a diagonal gash formed over his face. He screamed, the shrill sound echoing all through the open house, but no one was there to hear it. Ren struggled to his feet, facing the man before him with extreme abhorrence. One of his beautiful golden eyes was shut tight, the red mark running over it. The intruder faced him again, but with a much less serious look upon his face. It was the look of sarcasm; this man thought that watching Ren bleed was _funny_.

Instead of taking pity on Ren, the man took the time that it took for Ren to stand up to strike him once again, this time, on his neck. A large, red cut formed quickly over his neck, almost tearing it directly off. As soon as Ren had managed to stand up, he was forced back down by the force of the attack. He was sent flying to the ground, clutching his neck as he fought greatly to inhale, the strength being sucked out of his body with every passing minute.

He used what was left of his strength to crawl over to his attacker, looking up at him as he reached him. As he stared up at the man, tears welled up in Ren's eyes. He knew it was the end, but it was just too hard to bear with. He had little strength left in him, but yet, he had just enough to talk, and he took this time to speak directly to his attacker.

"Why?" Ren choked out between sobs, his breath coming in sharp, painful gasps. "Why me? Wh-what did I ever do to you? I-I don't understand." Ren coughed, choking on his own blood. He fought to control his breathing, but his air was limited, as was his life. Blood poured from his many wounds, staining the white floor rug a deep crimson. Ren's hair went limp, hanging down on his shoulders.

"Because, my boy, you were in my way. I have no use for you, but in order for me to get what I ant, you have to go. Do not take it personally; it is not as though I do not like you. Here, I will let you know who I am before you die." And with that, the intruder removed his mask, revealing his true identity to the boy on the floor. Ren gasped, choking out as shock filled throughout his mind.

"H-" Ren tried to speak, but he was unable to finish as he felt a sharp stab to his back. His Kwan-Dao going right through his back and gamming into the floor, right through his entire body. He gasped one last breath, choking out even more blood, before his whole body went limp, slamming his head to the ground.

The murderer proceeded to put his hood back on, before leaving the room through the window, and taking one last glance at the dead body laying in the middle of the room. He smiled, quite proud of his work, this was but one of the many that stood in his way.

"I'll get you soon Yoh. You are my true target, and there is nothing that will stand in my way once you are gone. And the best part is, you'll never suspect me!" and after that… he was gone. But he had taken with him so much more than just Ren's life; he had taken his… soul.


	5. Cursed Love

Summery: Ren wants more than anything to be with Horo, but he is cursed, and knows that he could never have a real relationship. The darkness threatens to engulf him every day, and showing his feelings makes it even worse. That mark on his back is more than an ordinary tattoo, for when he shows emotion it grows, and love just happens to be one of those emotions.

Everybody at the Inn had gathered together and were planning a fun night for just the guys. It was sure to be a great time, but Ren, who was not even paying attention to their talking, had other things on his mind. Starting with the Ainu, who he would have given anything to _not_ have to be around at the moment.

_It is coming back again, but this time there is no way to stop it. I told En that I did not need his help this time, but I know it will have been too late anyway, whether I tell him or not. I thought that I had this taken care of, by defeating him, but I can tell, it is coming back._

Ren looked at his arm, only to find a small, round, black mark in the middle of his arm. It always started at his arm, but the worst it had ever gotten was as far as his shoulder. Now it was advancing towards his chest and legs, threatening to engulf him.

"You alright, Ren? You look a little pale." Horo asked him. Ren quickly looked up, genuinely surprised by the Ainu's concern. He wanted him to care, but part of him did not want him to. Because, when he did, his smile showed, especially when Ren says that he is alright. And Ren did not want to see him smile, for it just made him love him even more.

Ren had never believed in love, especially when it was Horo that he loved, but there was something about him that made Ren feel as he had never felt before… happy. When he was with Horo he felt as though nothing else mattered, and that he could just cast away his problems and live each moment without thinking of what it would do to the future. Horo merely looked at him and smile, just like had done in the past.

_No, not that smile again. I have been taught to never love, and this time should be no different. But, that smile…_

"No… nothing is wrong." Ren said, knowing that he was just lying to Horo so as not to worry him.

_I know he could never like me back, but still, I can't help but wonder… but no, it would never work. I am, was always, since birth, cursed. I will not fall in love, because I can't. If only that baka knew, but it isn't his fault, it's mine, for being so soft. Maybe… maybe I can still…_

All of a sudden, Ren felt a sharp pain shoot through his entire body and, looking down at his exposed arm, he saw the dark spot spread slowly, creeping across his whole arm and down to his torso.

Ren ran up to his room, not looking back, not even when he heard Horo shout his name. He finally turned around when he got to his room, making sure that his door was locked before stepping away from it. Then he looked back down at his arm, seeing the black spread even more, burning into his skin. He followed the thin line of black up and over to his back… to his tattoo. It had been like this for some time, whenever he decided to show his feelings, even through thought, the mark would spread. And there was a penalty once it came over his entire body… death.

Ren's breathing was shallow, and as he looked in the mirror, he realized that he was sweating and he had dark bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. He had been up late at night for days on end, searching constantly for a cure to his curse, but none so far. Seeing himself in the mirror, it was no wonder the others were worried about him. But Horo, he seemed to be the most concerned, which was worse for Ren. He wanted to go back home, and leave Horo behind so that his mark would not grow any further, but home was not safe now; En was still angry, and Ren would most certainly be killed if he ever returned. It would be much better to die with Horo than because of his own father.

Ren heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and knew right away to whom they belonged, he just hoped that he was wrong. But sure enough, he heard Horo's voice from the middle of the stairs as he was coming up.

"Ren, are you sure you're okay? You just ran off like that, is there something you want to talk about? You can tell me. I just hate seeing you like this. What's wrong?" Horo's voice was not full of the usual comical air, but he spoke softly, in a tone of deep concern. But he had done nothing wrong, so why should he care?

"No, nothing. Just… just go. I'm fine, I don't need your help." Ren told him from the other side of the door. He tried to seem fine, with his usual tone of hate in his voice, but he could not pull it off. He was not angry, nor could he ever be at Horo.

"Just let me in, I'm sure there is something I can do." Horo said, still not giving up on Ren, for he knew how stubborn he could be.

"I can't," Ren said, fighting back tears in his eyes as he backed away from the door and into a corner, his voice getting more distant and harder to make out, "you can't, no one can. This is my problem, and I do not want you involved. I will be fine, I-I…" but Ren could not bring himself to make that promise, because he knew that no matter what anyone did, he would not be fine.

Ren heard Horo's footsteps back away from the door, but where they went he did not know. He did not even listen for a response from Horo, he just backed away farther into the corner of his room, adjusting his eyes to the darkness as the night went on, and cried the night away, watching as the mark on his arm grew, all night and into the morning.

When Ren awoke, he found Horo sleeping outside of his room, waiting for him to come out. Ren smile a bit as he took Horo to his own room, laying him on his bed, but quickly his smile faded. His eyes slipped out of focus as he watched a large portion of his arm turn jet black. Ren just barely managed to make it back to his own room when he collapsed on his bed, the pain was just too much for him to handle.

Ren did not blame Horo, he did not despise him, he loved him, and that was the source of his pain, his curse. He knew that he would die broken, cursed, alone, but at least he had the chance at feeling what it felt like to actually live, to be in love.

But the worst part came when Ren awoke to find none other than Horo, standing over him. And Ren also noticed something else, something worse, Horo had seen the mark, and the mark had spread to his legs.


	6. False Identity

Summery: After some strange behaviors, Ren leaves the group and goes back to China. The group of shamans follow him, only to find out that the Ren they had known had never existed! They discover the true Tao Ren, only to find a shy, hurt boy, having been beaten by his father, and they take him in and try to befriend him. He is the exact opposite of the Tao Ren they knew, and who should learn to befriend him but a certain pink-haired shaman who just happens to be visiting at the time of his arrival. Could there be a bit more to Tamara than meets the eye? And what secrets about her do the Tao's know; the sole reason that Ren was not allowed to leave the walls of his prison was because of her, but why? Takes place before Ren confronts him father, so none of the shamans know about his family.

It was late at night; the stars hung low to earth, signaling that it was nearing midnight. No one in their right mind would be awake at this time of night, but one person was. Tao Ren was packing him bags, planning to leave Japan as fast as was possible, and return to China where he would deal with what he called 'family issues'. No one knew for certain when he would be back, but knowing him, he could handle anything his family threw at him, and he would be back quickly, no matter how much he said that he despised living there.

Ren had been planning on leaving the Inn early that morning, but something had kept him from doing so. No one knew for certain, but he had told them that he just needed some time to think. He had taken to the forests, far away from civilization, and was no seen all of that day until he came back late that night in time to leave. The others could tell something was wrong with him, but they all just assumed that he was worrying about going back to China, and nervous to reunite with his family.

Ren left that night, with every intention to return to China, but the next day, and even the next week, no news came, and they had not seen or heard from Ren for a long time; this worried the shamans, who were going to search for him if he did not return in one more week. They had hoped that they would not have to travel to China, and that Ren would come back on his own, but they had no such luck. They gave it time, but after three weeks of not hearing anything about Ren, they decided to follow his trail to China in hopes of finding him and helping him with whatever was going on between him and his family.

Yoh, Horo, and Rio were the only ones who could make it on such short notice, and in almost a week's time, they had made it to China. The magnificent landscaping and beautiful view, this was unmistakably China. But, as they traveled through the wonderful scenery that was Ren's birthplace, they knew better than to underestimate this place. Ren had not told them exactly what his family was like, but they knew a little bit, about the Tao history, and so they knew that while they enjoyed it, they must also keep in mind what was behind all of the beauty.

There were quite a few roads to be traveled, but eventually the shaman group made it all the way to the Tao Mansion. And upon entering they met up with none other than En Tao, Ren's father who, though they did not know all about him, had been the source of Ren's anger towards his family.

En Tao held his head high, not at all afraid of defeat. With his oversoul now fully charged, he knew that it was only a matter of time before three more shamans' souls would be forever a part of the Tao legacy. And the worst part was, they had come all the way to China for nothing. For someone who did not even exist, or at least, to them. Yoh and the others readied their oversouls, but when En dismantled his, they knew that he was not looking for a fight with them right away. And so they did the same, disengaging their oversouls, and listening to what he had to say, though they doubted that they would believe it anyway. Yoh, however, did not turn his oversoul off all the way, as he wanted to be ready should En turn on them with a surprise attack.

"There is not need to be hasty, you will get your fight if that is what you want. But first listen to what I have to say, because there is no guarantee that you will still wish to stay here once you hear what it is I have to say. You see, the boy you came to rescue, your friend Ren, never existed," there was a sharp intake of breath from Horo and Rio, but Yoh did not believe that Ren was made up. They had met him after all, and he knew that he was not just imagining things, "Oh, there is a real Tao Ren, my son, but you have never met him. He has lived here, in this very house, all of his life; the Ren you knew that just a fake, one created out of oversoul. And I was the one who made him. I had to make him a bit snobby, that way no one would get close to him, and I would have no problems keeping him in full functions. I made him for a reason, but one that you will never find out!" En launched his oversoul high into the air, dropping it down as hard as he could. Yoh and the others dodged perfectly, but they were losing, and they could tell. What En had said had had too much effect on them, and they knew better to believe it.

_No,_ Yoh thought, _the Ren we knew – we know- is real. There is no other Ren, and we can prove it once we find him. We will take him back, and things will return back to normal. We just have to defeat Ren's dad, and then we can all get out of here- with Ren, _our_ Ren._

Yoh narrowly dodged another attack, and then they all headed down a small hallway, escaping En's oversoul for a while. That gave them some time to search for Ren, and then to get out before being found.

Horo was in the lead, running down the hallway until it got narrower with fewer rooms to choose from. Horo headed to his right, entering a pitch black room filled with the sound of dripping water. It was a bit eerie, but it would be a great place to hide until En left.

The room was darker than the night sky outside the single window that was in the room, bearing no light. The room seemed empty, as though there had never been anyone in it. It was also cold, like ice, to the point were even Horo was shivering after a while. They listened, but heard nothing, and were about to leave when they heard a slight shuffling and a clanking sound. Yoh was the first to turn, followed by Rio, and finally Horo. They turned around right on time to see a small pair of bright golden eyes shoot open, followed by the sound of someone standing up.

"Ren? Is that you?" Rio asked, and out of the darkness came a voice, one that sounded like Ren's, though a bit more shaky and scared. And when the voice answered, it was chilling and gloomy, much like Ren's, but somehow… different. And it spoke three simple yet powerful words, ones that would change everything.

"Who are you?"


	7. Obedience

DarkTaoAngel: This is a very short chapter, but I am trying to update my other stories at the same time, so bear with me! If I get enough reviews, I will write this story, and I might just make it longer! But only if you review, so review!

Summery: Ren is blind, and no one seems to know where he is. The battle with Hao had just ended, with everyone thinking that he had been killed. Hao is alive, though, and he has Ren with him. but Horo has something to say about this. Love triangle: Hao x Ren x Horo!

"Where am I?" Ren asked, not really expecting an answer. He sat up abruptly, finding himself to be sitting alone on a small futon. He looked around him, but he saw nothing. It was so dark, pitch black almost, in the room, so not even the smallest light could be seen. There must not have been any windows in the room. It was enough to make anyone go mad, but Ren was not about to jump to any conclusions. He merely laughed a bit to himself, hearing his own voice sounding raspy and scared.

Ren felt a bead of sweat slide down his face, and then another one trickle down his nose. He tried to convince himself that he had merely overexerted himself in training, and was tired, so as to explain what was happening around him. But he knew that he had not been training for almost a week.

And then he remembered it: he had been searching for Hao for the past week. He and a few friends- no, he did not have friends, only enemies, but that was beyond the point at the time- had been looking for Hao. And they had found him and fought him. But, what had happened after that? It was all a blur to Ren, who could hardly remember anything.

"How is everybody?" Faust asked the groups of shamans before him, hoping that the battle with Hao would not have damaged any of them beyond restoration. Luckily, none of them had been hurt too badly; at least they were all alive. They all seemed to be fine for the most part, all except for Yoh, who had a puzzled look on his face and was staring blankly into the distance.

"Hey, you guys, where is Ren?" Yoh asked, bewildering the whole group.

"I thought that he was with you, Master Yoh." Ryu said, acknowledging that he, too, did not know where Ren was. He looked around the group as they each in turn shrugged their shoulders.

"Well, he can't be with…" Yoh began, but he stopped abruptly as he heard a noise from overhead. He looked up and was shocked to see the Spirit of Fire, looming over them all and soaring up into the sky. It then flew away, more than likely going to rejoin its master.

"Hao," Yoh said, and he and the other shamans started running in the direction that Hao's spirit ally had gone, "Hold on Ren, we're coming!" Yoh shouted, and they all started sprinting, as fast as they could run.

"Ren…" Horo said, hoping that they would not be too late.

The darkness was impenetrable, and no matter how hard he tried, Ren could not adjust his eyes to the black. He was beginning to worry, and he was still unsure of where he was or what he was doing there.

It was then that Ren heard footsteps coming down the hall, or what he thought must have been the hall, and towards the dark room that Ren was sitting in.

The footsteps grew closer, and the door to the room opened. Light flooded into the room, but Ren could not see the figure that had entered the room. He did not understand at first why he could not see anything in the room, but then it dawned on him, and, as the figure spoke, Ren knew that what he had thought was true.

"That is right, Ren, you're blind."


	8. It Hurts to Breathe

Ren sat quietly on the front porch of the Asakura Inn, deep in thought. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom now, and seeds of various trees were falling from above him. Ren did not notice them until one fell onto his shoulder. Ren pulled it off of himself and set it gently on the ground, smirking slightly as he stepped on it roughly with his foot, crushing it into the ground.

"Only the strong survive," Ren whispered, knowing only too well those words. That phrase brought back the worst of his memories, the ones that haunted him wherever he went, "the weak deserve to fall."

Ren stood up and walked slowly towards the door to the Inn, not turning around until he reached the entrance. He sighed slightly, wishing that ever day could be this peaceful. It almost seemed as though it was not real, as though this was all just a dream. But, despite how dreamlike this reality was, he knew that it had to come to an end the moment he walked through the door ahead of him. He breathed one last sigh before entering.

The Inn was surprisingly quiet, as though no one was there. Ren looked around a bit, but soon noticed the absence of everyone, even Yoh. No one was there, not that that fact made him worried, he was just wondering why none of them had invited him to wherever they were, not that he would have gone if they had.

"Looking for someone?" a voice behind Ren asked. Ren recognized the voice, and he turned sharply, glaring at the figure of Hao Asakura who was grinning before him. Hao had to have been up to something, for he would have never come if his brother was not present.

"No." Ren answered bluntly, turning away and making a move to begin walking to his room. Ren could hear Hao snigger a bit, and he felt a tug at his arm that made it almost impossible for him to move. He turned around again to see Hao holding onto his arm with such a grip that it was actually causing Ren pain, not that he wanted to admit it.

"What do you want?" Ren spat at Hao, trying as best he could to break Hao's hold on him, but he could not; Hao was stronger than he looked, but Ren continued to fight, though he knew it was useless.

"It is futile to fight me; you have what I want." Hao answered, his voice remained calm, which made Ren even angrier at him. A bead of sweat rolled down Ren's face, but he continued to fight. Hao simply used his free arm to hold onto Ren's other arm, which stopped Ren from fighting as much.

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" Ren asked, smiling slightly as he thought of any possible way to get out of the situation he was in. He could think of nothing.

"You." Hao replied, smirking at the look that enveloped Ren's face next. It was a mixture of fear and pain, which came from the fact that Hao's grip on his arms had increased. Ren tried as best he could to move backward, away from Hao, but Hao leaned forward, holding Ren tighter. Ren fought, but Hao was too strong for him, and before Ren knew it, he felt warm lips press against his. Ren struggled even more, but Hao would not let go, and Ren was left powerless. Ren stood, immobile, as Hao finally broke away from the kiss, smiling. Ren snarled at him, but could do nothing more.

"Spirit of Fire!" Hao called, and a large fire spirit quickly appeared outside of the Inn. Hao's smile widened considerably as he saw how much Ren had tried to struggle, and how limp he had recently become. "Let's go for a ride, shall we? You're coming, too, Ren." Hao said, pulling on Ren to get him to move, but Ren stayed firmly where he was standing.

"Why should I?" Ren stated, pulling his hands as hard as he could, and finally breaking free of Hao's hold on him. Ren backed away, but Hao did not bother going after him, for he knew that he would come back to him soon enough.

"Have you noticed how quiet it is in this place? Deathly quiet." Hao reached into his pocket and removed a small sphere, with about ten different colored objects floating in it; …souls. "If you do not come with me, and do as I say, I cannot guarantee the safety of your friends' souls. I could destroy any one of them easily. But, if you do not want to join me, I shall have to… should I begin with your friend Horohoro?"

"No!" Ren shouted, not realizing how loud he was yelling. "I-I'll go with you, just don't hurt them." Hao grimaced as Ren stretched his arms out in front of himself, allowing Hao to take hold of them once again. Ren's fate was now in Hao's hands.

ZzZzZzZzZzZ

Ren and Hao, riding on the Spirit of Fire's back, had come to a small building, stopped and walked in, Hao still hold Ren's arms tightly, though Ren would not have gone anywhere, for he could not. The building was larger inside than it looked outside; the atmosphere was dark, as though no one lived there. Hao led Ren to a set of stairs which led to a type of basement, and they both walked down in the dark, not saying a word.

"This is where you'll be staying." Hao said, letting go of Ren and pushing him away slightly. Hao bent down and picked up off of the ground a small chain, which blended almost perfectly with the darkness of the room. "Come here." Hao commanded of Ren. Ren stepped forward, out of the darkness.

"Take of your shirt." Hao told Ren, and he did. Ren felt extremely uncomfortable, but he was forced to do anything Hao told him to, for fear of harming one of his friends. "So skinny…" Hao whispered, turning Ren around and placing one set of shackles around each of his wrists, and one around his neck. The one around his neck was particularly tight, nearly suffocating Ren. Ren choked a bit, but Hao did not seem to care.

Ren looked at the ground, seeing nothing but pure darkness. Hao put his hand under Ren's chin, lifting up his face, looking right into his eyes.

"If you're a good boy, I might just let you out for a while, but for now, I do not trust you. You might escape." Hao rubbed his knuckles against Ren's face, and then he stretched out his fingers, scratching Ren's cheek. Ren felt his heart beating rapidly, sweat forming on his face.

"You are mine now." Hao said, taking his hand away from Ren's face.

"You can not control my destiny." Ren said defiantly, though he was still scared deep down, he would not let Hao know that.

"It's not your destiny anymore." Hao whispered in Ren's ear, sending shivers down his spine. Hao walked out of the room, leaving Ren all alone. Ren hung his head, leaning uncomfortably against the wall of the dungeon-like room. He sighed heavily, breathing a little slower than usual because of lack of oxygen.

_Only the strong survive, the weak deserve to fall._


End file.
